Clamp



Oct. 23, 1928. v 1,689,078

R. G. MERCER ET A1.

CLAMP Filed March 18, 1927 2 zjy 7 7 2% Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UN D T E VRUSSELL Gr. MERCER, OF 'SAN FRANCISCO, AND GEORGE W.- MERCER, 'OF CVN i' CALIFORNIA.

tem@

` CLAMP.

, i, Application sied March 1s, 1927. semina 176,468.

This invention relates to improvements in clamps and has particular reference to a clamp for use in building construction.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a clamp which will adjustably hold form boards in proper position so that concrete or other plastic substances may be moulded therein.

Another object is to provide a clamp which is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a clamp which may be readily adjusted so as to accommodate moulds of any size.

A still further object is to produce a clamp which may readily be folded for transportation, thereby occupying a minimum amount of space.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our clamp.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of our clamp as the same will appear in use.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view showing the manner of locking our clamp, and

Fi @ure t is a fragmentary detail view showing t e manner of connecting two of the clamp arms.

In the building of concrete structures it is necessary to employ form boards which are held in proper position so that concrete may x be poured intoy the mould thus formed. These form boards are generally held together by nailing cleats on the outside thereof with the result that the form boards are so badly mutilated when being taken down that they are seldom usable again or if usable require a large amount of labor in order to recondition them for use.

We have therefore provided a clamp which clamp when placed around the mould boards will hold them in proper position and after the concrete has set, the clamp may be removed after which the mould board may be taken away and again used wherever desired the mould boards being left in good condition.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a clamp arm having one v end provided with a return bend as shown at 6. Pivoted Within this return bend is a second arm 7, the pivotal connection being shown lat 8.v The arms 5 and are provided with ratchet shaped teeth as shown at 9 and 11 respectively. f rIhe result of this constructionv thus far described is that the arms 5 and 7 may be moved so that they are at right angles to each other after which two sets of arms are employed, the s ets overlapping each other asindicated in F lgures 1 and 2. rlhe overlapping arms are held together by Vsliding blocks indicated as a whole by the numeral 12. As these blocks l are identical, but one will be described. EX- tending through each block are openings 13 ,and 14 which openings are at right angles to each other and upon different planes, thus permitting one arm to pass beneath the other. Formed in the vertical face of two sides ofthe block are recesses 16 and 17 which recesses are adapted to cooperate with the ratchet teeth 9 or 11 as the case may be to accommodate Wedges 18. Thesewedges are'tapered from end to end and have their edges chamfered so as to engage squarely with the teeth of the ratchet and with the block.

In employing our device two sets of clamp arms are placedabout the form boards which are here designated in Figure 2 by the niunerals V19, 21, 22, and 23. Before moving the clamps to the position shown in Figure 2, a block 12 must be slipped over the ends of the arms which are to cross each other after which the clamp members are moved against the form boards to the position shown in Figure 2, aft-er which the Wedges 18 are inserted, which Wedges are then driven down and due to their tapered shape cause the arms to be drawn lengthwise thereby tightening the clamp as well as the form boards. -When it is desired to remove the clamp, the wedges are wit-hldrawn, the clamps moved away from each other until the overlapping ends slide out of their engagement with the block 12 after which the clamps may be transported to any convenient place.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention h-erewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, We means for locking said blocks to said arms, 10 claim said means including a pair of tapered Wedge In a clamp of the character described, a shaped members, each of said Wedge shaped pair of arms pivoted to each other, a second members engaging the teeth on one of said 5 Vpair of arms pivoted to each other, said arms arms and its adj aeent block.

having teeth formed thereon, the free ends of In testimony whereof We affix our signa-v 15 said arms of one pair overlying the free ends tures. of the arms of the other pair, blocks slidably RUSSELL G. MERCER. i positioned upon said overlapping arms and GEORGE W. MERCER. 

